"I believe that the PO was traded away early on, and that pretty much anyone in the room knew that insurance companies would have blitzed with an ad campaign that would have stopped the entire process cold. That's a really cynical view, I fully realize. The deal with pharma was about stopping that special interest (one with plenty of ready cash on hand as well, due to the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004) to throw in with the opposition as well. It's exactly why they were invited to the table, while others trying to make the case for any government run health insurance plan at all were pointedly kept out. (Somewhere in the dkos archives, I believe, that little episode is documented.)
In other words, the politics of the thing was just as important a consideration throughout as the policy. There were several lines that policymakers dared not cross, and that compromised the entire notion of reform. Which is why I get so very annoyed by anyone here trying to make me believe that PPACA is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Too late now to change anything, and we're stuck with very pricey RomneyCare for all."
The commenter was challenging this from me: "The Administration just decided, without even trying to verify if it was true, that the public option was a non-starter in the battle for health insurance reform because it wouldn't pass the Senate. They didn't know this for sure."
But that comment illustrated my point perfectly. At the first sign of stiff opposition, Obama goes into capitulation mode. He shows no willingness to force the other side's hand. Good negotiation requires you to be willing to concede a little, but not to take your key principles off of the table before serious discussions even begin. Aren't at least some of your values worth fighting for? Did any of us expect the opposition to say "OK, Democrats. You're the majority. Have your way"?
This of course, doesn't just speak to his handling of the health insurance issue, but now, the potential expiration of the Bush tax cuts. And when push comes to shove, President Obama shows where his priorities seem to be. Get tough with your base for being "sanctimonious purists" and "whiners". But don't bother showing any intestinal fortitude when dealing with Republicans. All the while act like you've accomplished some great victory. I'm not even sure it's appropriate to call it a pyrrhic victory. A very similar thing happened as the health care bill was finalizing. Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich threatened to vote against the bill on principle due to it not being nearly strong enough reform. Instead of Obama pressuring Republicans to make some concessions - after all, Democrats had majorities in both houses, he went to Kucinich's district in order to pressure him to vote for the bill which mandates that all have health insurance, but mandates everyone be a customer of a private, for-profit company. Kucinich eventually agreed, but it shows once again Obama's unwillingness to stand by anything he campaigned on.
I have zero evidence of this, and suggesting this is, I fully acknowledge, nothing more than wild speculation. But often I can't help but wonder if some folks got a hold of President Obama some time back, and told him, more or less "If you know what's good for you, you'll remember which side your bread is buttered on. You forget this to your peril. In fact, if you do forget this, being a one-term President will be the least of your worries." Or, as I saw from another comment, did some people get a hold of him and ask "How much do you really want to be like JFK?"
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